Lyssa grimaced when she swallowed some of the blood from a cut on the inside of her mouth before responding, “She sounds like she has an interesting life. My name is Melissa Timmons. I’m twenty-three. I never made it to college. Both of my parents are dead.”
“Nice try, little Lyssa, but I have pictures. Would you like to see?” Reaching into another pocket, Frankie pulled out two pictures and held them up for her to look at. One was of her mother in Florida, walking down by the beach by herself. The other was of herself with her mother, from when she’d graduated college. The beach photo was from a bookcase in her living room. The college one was from the dresser in her bedroom. The bastards had been in her house.
Fury filling her, she raised her head to look at Frankie. “Fuck you,” she spat.
Frankie backhanded her, then grabbed a fistful of her hair, yanking her head back. She sat paralyzed in fear when she got her first glimpse of what death looked like in his black, soulless eyes. She knew then that there was a very real chance she was going to be with her father in Heaven before the night was over.
Chapter 34
A slow, cocky grin spread across Nate’s face as he held the door open for a couple of women who were leaving the diner. “Ladies,” he said, tipping his hat in their direction. They giggled, casting flirtatious looks his way, hope shining in their eyes. Walking into Mac’s, he let the door slide shut behind him. He wasn’t interested in whatever they had to offer. There was only one woman on his mind lately, and she was keeping her distance since their time in his cabin.
After greeting some of the other patrons he’d gotten to know lately, he made his way up to the counter and took a seat. “Hey there, Miss Dottie,” he drawled, taking off his hat and setting it on the stool next to him, “how about a cup of coffee and one of your breakfast specials this morning?”
“Coming right up,” she responded immediately, although she looked a little anxious and upset.
Nate waited until she’d hollered the order back to the kitchen before asking, “What’s wrong, sweetheart? You look a little worried about something.”
Dottie frowned, the first one he’d ever seen pass over her normally happy features, and she began to fidget. Playing with the bangle bracelets on her arm, she stared at them as she moved them up and down her wrist. “I’m just busy,” she finally replied, seeming to come out of her stupor.
Nate glanced around the diner, searching for Lyssa, who was actually the reason he stopped by in the first place. She was supposed to check in this morning with the field office, and pass on whatever information they had to him. “Hey, where’s that pretty little waitress at,” he teased, winking at Dottie. “I was hoping to maybe share my coffee with her this morning.”
Dottie’s lips tightened into a thin line, and she straightened her shoulders. “I honestly don’t know. She was supposed to be here at five o’clock this morning, but no one’s seen her. I know she went out last night, but it just isn’t like her not to show up for her shift.”
Dread began to creep up Nathan’s spine, but he shot Dottie a teasing grin. “Has anyone gone to check on her? Maybe she just slept in after one too many drinks?”
“I called her, but it went straight to voice mail. It’s just not like Melissa not to show up. She hasn’t missed a shift since she started here.” Someone across the room hollered Dottie’s name, and she told them she would be right over. Patting his hand lightly, she said, “Let me get your breakfast for you, young man. That’s enough worrying about Melissa. I’m sure she will be around soon.”
Nathan had a gut feeling that wasn’t true. Something was very wrong. Standing, he reached out and pulled on one of Dottie’s curls, making her smile. “I need to get going ma’am. Do you think you could have that food boxed up for me? I’ll eat it at the ranch.”
“Of course! Give me just a minute.”
Taking out his cell phone while he waited, Nathan discreetly sent a text to Agent Kayla Donaldson asking if Lyssa had checked in that morning. They were to keep all contact with the agency to a minimum unless it was an emergency, but right now he was declaring this one. It was not long before he got his response. No.
Fuck. Not bothering to wait for Dottie to return, Nate pulled out a twenty and dropped it on the counter before retrieving his hat and quickly leaving the diner. Dialing 911, he ran down the sidewalk, skirting around the corner to the back alley. “911 Emergency, how may I direct your call?”
“This is the FBI. Transfer me to Sheriff Creed Caldwell now!” he ordered roughly as he scanned the back of the building. Melissa’s apartment had outside access only, and the steps leading up to it were in plain sight of anyone watching. He did not have a choice, he was going up.
Nathan was taking the steps two at a time when he heard, “Creed Caldwell.”
“This is Special Agent Nathan Brentworth with the FBI, Sheriff. I’m over at the diner, and I need backup, fast.”
“Talk to me.”
“Another agent hasn’t checked in. She’s never late.”
“Melissa.”
He wasn’t surprised that Creed knew exactly who he was talking about. He’d done his homework, and he knew the Sheriff was good at his job, and someone he could go to at a time like this. “Yes. Dottie said she didn’t show up for work, and she hasn’t been able to get a hold of her.”
“I’m coming up the side of the building,” Creed warned him. “I have two of my deputies with me.”
“These guys aren’t amateurs,” Nathan warned him. “My guess is, if they have been here, they are long gone. But, it’s better to be safe than dead.”
“I agree.”
Nathan waited at the top of the stairs, watching out for the others as they got into position. The deputies stopped, one on each corner of the building, continuously scanning around them. Creed ran lightly up the stairs, his gun drawn, and stood to one side of the door.
Nathan tried the door, and wasn’t surprised to find it unlocked. Holding a hand up to stop Creed from going forward, he quickly checked the edges for any kind of wire. Vinnie Harris was known for his bomb making skills, and Diego Cortez never went anywhere without him. After a moment, Nathan grasped the doorknob and pushed the door open, crouching low, gun out in front of him. Creed was on his heels, and they made quick work of clearing the area before stopping outside the only closed door in the apartment. There was blood everywhere, so Nathan was not surprised at what he found when they entered the bathroom.
Lying in the bathtub, was his fellow agent. Her body was broken and bloody, her clothes shredded scraps of material barely covering her body. Deep cuts scored her flesh, and her skin was marred with dark bruises.
Quickly crossing the room, Nathan knelt beside her still form. Placing his fingers over the pulse on her neck, he closed his eyes to concentrate, praying he would feel it beating. There it was, very light, but it was there. Suddenly, Lyssa’s eyes fluttered, and then opened slightly. “It’s me, Lyssa,” he said quickly, afraid she might think he was one of Cortez’s men. “It’s Nate.”
“Nate.” His name was just a whisper on her lips, so faint he almost didn’t hear it.
“Yes, Lyssa, it’s Nate. Hold on, honey. Help is coming.” He could hear Creed on the phone in the background barking orders for an ambulance, and he prayed they got there in time. She was fading fast, and he was afraid if he lost her now, there would be no coming back from this for her.
“Nate,” she breathed again. “Tried.”
“Lyssa, look at me,” he ordered. “Look at me!”
Her eyes closed again, and she whispered, “Had to tell them so they would stop. Had to.”
Oh shit. “You had to tell them what, Lyssa?” A loud gasp left her throat, then another. “Lyssa!” he yelled, “what did you tell them?”
Her eyes opened into small slits, and she rasped, “Rayna. Ryder. New Hope.”
“Sir, sir you need to step back. We need to get to her.”
Nathan rose in stunned silence, not fighting the
arms that moved him out of the bathroom. They had broken her. She had spilled everything. Harper!
“You go to Harper,” Creed said, dialing another number on his cell. “I’ll have my sister and one of my deputies meet you out there.”
“They are going after Rayna,” Nathan said, knowing the bureau would expect him to protect her. “And your family.”
“You let me worry about my family and Rayna. You get to Harper.”
Not bothering to argue, Nathan left the apartment, heading for his truck at a dead run. He knew Rayna was supposed to be his first priority, but right then he didn’t care. Let them fire him. He was choosing Harper.
Chapter 35
Harper Daley swore loudly, dropping the pipe wrench on the counter and barely resisting the urge to kick her kitchen cabinet. The drain to the sink was clogged. Nothing would go down no matter what she did. Instead of asking for help, once again she was trying to fix it herself.
“Why do I have to be so damn stubborn?” she muttered to herself, placing her hands on her hips and taking a deep breath, immediately wishing she hadn’t. The kitchen still reeked of burnt toast from breakfast, even though all of the windows in the room were wide open.
On her ranch, the children helped with the cooking, cleaning, and they took turns taking care of the animals. Normally it was a good idea, but sometimes, like this morning, it pushed her limits. However, she was a firm believer in teaching them the importance of responsibility so they could survive on their own after turning eighteen. When the children arrived, the majority of them did not know how to boil water, do laundry, and had never even seen a riding lawnmower before, much less actually mowed with one. By the time they left New Hope Ranch, they could not only do all of that, but way more. And she was proud of each and every one of them.
At the sound of a car in her driveway, Harper walked over to the window to glance out. A black, four-door Sedan stopped in front of the house, and two men got out. One was very large and intimidating. She could see the hard glint in his eyes even from this distance. The other one wasn’t quite as big, but still had a menacing look about him. A feeling of foreboding filled her chest when she saw they were both packing. They did not look like law enforcement, more like the thugs she used to know from the city. Had her past finally caught up with her? That didn’t make sense. Why would they just now be tracking her down after all of these years? No, it couldn’t be Julio’s men.
Something wasn’t right though, and she was going to have to face them alone. Henry was in Dallas picking up some things for the horses, the children were all at school, and she’d seen Nate leave a couple of hours ago.
Deciding she needed some kind of reinforcement in case this meeting was to go bad, Harper ran quickly to her office in the back of the house. Unlocking her large safe that was kept hidden in the back closet, she quickly removed a handgun, followed by a rifle. Maybe it was a good thing she normally relied only on herself, she thought, making sure both were loaded before shoving the revolver in the waistband of her jeans at her back. Picking up the rifle, she jumped at the ringing of the front doorbell. Screw that. She had no idea who these men were, but they would meet her on her terms.
Harper thought briefly of calling Nate, but she knew there was no time. Besides, what could he do? She just thanked God that the children were away. If anything were to happen to any of them, she would never forgive herself.
Opening the window in the office, Harper slipped through, dropping lightly to the ground. Grasping the rifle tightly, she stayed close to the house as she rounded the corner and moved up the side. Measuring the distance between the house and the barn, she thought briefly of darting into it to find a place to hide until they left. The only thing that stopped her was the thought of one of the children coming home and the men still being there.
“It doesn’t look like anyone’s around,” one of the men said, his voice closer than she would have liked.
“The door is unlocked. They’re here.”
“I don’t know, some of these country bumpkins leave everything unlocked. Idiots.”
The voice was getting closer and closer, and Harper knew if she didn’t make a move soon, she wouldn’t be the one in control. Screw that, she was always in control. Stepping out from around the corner, she raised her rifle and leveled it on the man who stood just a few feet from her looking into the living room window. “Can I help you boys with something?”
They turned toward her, the larger one at the front door, the other stepping back from the house to face her squarely, his hand moving for his gun. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she said, cocking her head to the side, a slow grin spreading across her face. “I can outshoot any man in this town. If you grab that gun, you won’t have it for long.”
“Now, ma’am,” he replied, holding his hands out in front of him, palms up. “We aren’t here to hurt you. I’m Rocky Masters with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. This here is my partner, Mr. Barker. We just need to talk to you about a wanted fugitive that we think is hiding out on your land.”
“Oh, really?” Harper raised an eyebrow, easily detecting the lies flowing from his mouth. “Then you won’t mind showing me your badges.”
“Look,” the other man interrupted in irritation, “we don’t have time to show you anything. This man is dangerous. He’s killed before, and could kill again. You may know him as Nate Burrows.”
Harper flinched slightly at the name, but her expression hardened considerably. She had already figured out that there was more to Nate than met the eye, but there was no way in hell the man was avoiding the law. She was a good judge of character, always had been, and Nate Burrows was a decent man. “Bullshit.”
“Ma’am.”
“Ma’am me again and I will put a bullet in you,” Harper warned. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but I do know that you are not with the FBI. I’ve dealt with the FBI before, and I have dealt with assholes like you. Now, you have ten seconds to get in your car and get the hell off my property, or you are going to be visiting our county jail, with a stop at the hospital on the way, instead of standing here exchanging pleasantries with me.”
The one called Rocky went for his gun first. It barely cleared the holster before she squeezed the trigger of her rifle and he dropped to the ground, his hand covering a hole in his side. Pulling the revolver from her jeans, she aimed it at Barker. “Give me a reason,” she growled. “I have had one fucked up morning, and putting you on the ground by your friend here would make it so much better.”
The man’s gaze went from Harper, to Rocky, and then past her to look at something out by the road. She did not turn around, knowing he would take advantage of the situation if she did. Hearing the sirens in the distance, along with a vehicle coming down her driveway, Harper grinned. “I guess it is off to jail with both of you after all.”
A truck pulled to a stop in front of the house, and Nate opened the door, jumping out. “Don’t even think about it,” he growled when Barker reached for his gun. “After what you did to my partner, I will tear you the fuck apart.”
Partner? “These boys decided to drop by and say hi this morning, Nate. They seemed to want to play some, but I’m just not in the mood for games.”
“Me neither,” Nate snarled, walking up to the big guy, and letting a fist fly. “She was just a kid, you bastard. A fucking kid!” Harper watched in shock as Nate slammed the other man up against the house, quickly removing his gun and two hidden knives, before slapping cuffs on him. Throwing him to the ground beside his buddy, Nate came over to stand by Harper. They stood in silence until Deputy Katy Caldwell arrived, all the while Harper was trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
Chapter 36
Cara Caldwell filled the kitchen sink with soapy water, before submerging the large frying pan in it. She, Charles, and Caiden had just finished breakfast, and she was cleaning up while the men went to the barn to feed the horses. Afterwards, she and Charles were going to run into Da
llas to get some things they needed. Her husband also promised her dinner and a little shopping for their granddaughter. She wanted to get Cassie a couple of new outfits for school.
Lost in thought, Cara stared out the window, smiling when she caught a glimpse of the new foal playing in the corral next to the barn. Heaven, what a beautiful name for the sweet filly. Although, she had a feeling Heaven wouldn’t be at their ranch for long. She didn’t foresee Ryder living there much longer either, even though she knew he would continue to run it. His heart belonged to Rayna now, and Cara was sure he would end up moving in with her soon. She had been so worried about him ever since the Johnsons passed away years ago. He changed, closing in on himself, and only showing everyone what he wanted them to see. When Rayna came home, he began to show signs of his true self again, a much happier one. There was no doubt in Cara’s mind that Rayna was the one for her son.
Cara’s mind turned to her son Justice. His time in the military would be up soon, but she knew that he was debating on re-enlisting, even after being held captive for months oversees. After recuperating at home with them, Justice went back to work, and she wasn’t sure where he was right now. The government sent him on classified missions, the need to know kind. As his mother, she didn’t need to know. She did not have that right. Cara understood though, and never pushed Justice for answers. As much as she wanted her son home, if his heart was with the military, she would stand by him. She would always encourage her children to follow their dreams. If that was what he was doing, then who was she to stand in his way?
Now, Linc was a different story. That boy was not following any dream on the rodeo circuit. Even though he may have enjoyed the rush of riding broncs when he was younger, life on the back of a bull was not something Linc ever wanted to do for the rest of his life. She knew her children well, and that boy was definitely hiding something from them.
Saving His Soul (Serenity Springs Series, #3) Page 16